When people would ask me, "What do you want to be when you grow
up," depending on how old I was at the time I would answer with one
of the following: cartoonist, jet fighter pilot, psychologist,
writer and Designer of Fancy Fountains. That was the first one, but
I gave it up by the time I was ten because I could tell that nobody
actually gets to do that for a living. Then the Bellagio
opened their giant lake and I realized, too late, just how wrong I
had been, and wept bitter tears upon the earth.

And that was how I got arrested for disturbance of the peace.
Evidently wailing and gnashing of teeth is illegal in Vegas! Go
figure...

On a day-to-day basis, I do software QA at a start-up that makes
smartphone games. It's small but fun, and we just released a new
game that got editor's-choice features on both Google Play and the
App Store. I also bike to work as often as possible and do a fair
bit of singing in an a cappella rock band.

I spent a lot of last year helping my dad start a company which
makes and sells fuel blocks out of the contents of your trash can.
I also write fiction and music, when I have time, and I love
cooking and wish I could do it more often.

Finally, I am also happily involved with littlebearista4 and so not
really on the market anymore. But hey, it's still fun to compare
Match questions!

I think my best qualities are loyalty and optimism. I look after
the people I care about, and damn the cost. I'd also rather focus
on the silver linings. It's a self-taught skill, which is why I'm
proud of it.

I value communication: I help my friends with their issues, ask
them to do the same with me, and am not a huge fan of people who
aren't open with their feelings. This is partially because of my
writing background, but also because I've seen a lot of havoc
wrought by people who just couldn't be honest, even to themselves,
about what they really wanted.

FICTION: Strong characterization and a vivid,
well-detailed setting are always my thing; they make the world come
to life. And a grounded plot too: it's all well and good to read
(or write!) about what could happen, but my preference is
for what would happen. Harry Potter, Temeraire, A Song of
Ice And Fire, the Mass Effect trilogy, American Beauty, Avatar: the
Last Airbender, Tales of the Abyss, Firefly, Calvin and Hobbes,
Speaker for the Dead.

GAMES: Layered strategy with plenty of room for
customization, and a calm skill curve because, frankly, I'm not
actually very good at games. Co-op multiplayer a plus! Wing
Commander, Final Fantasy Tactics, Civilization, League of Legends,
Magic: The Gathering, StarCraft, Left 4 Dead.

"What should I cook tonight? Have I mastered the art of
defrosting?" "Can I write a song about this? Have I heard anything
lately on the radio that would work well for a six-person a
cappella group? Man, everybody already got to 'Royals' by
Lorde..." "I wonder if I can go skiing or camping again some day?"
"How can I catch more bugs? Can I think of anything this game needs
and doesn't have?" "Why are hedgehogs and ferrets illegal
pets in California??" "What can I do today to help the people
around me?--or at least not make their lives worse?" "For heaven's
sake, would you use your turn signal? I would have been happy to
get out of your way."